114 EUPHORBIACE&. [ TRAGIA 



1. T. involucrata, Linn. Sp. PI. 980 ; Eoxb. Fl. hid. Hi. 

 576 ; Eoyle III. 327 ; F. B. I. v, 465 ; Watt E. D.; Pram Beng. 

 PL 952 ; Cooler Fl. Bomb, it, 621. 



A perennial more or less hispid herb, with scattered stinging hairs- 

 Sterns elongate, slender, twining. Leaves 1-4 in. long,variable, oblong- 

 lanceolate to broadly ovate, acuminate, serrate, hairy ; base rounded 

 or cordate ; petioles J-f long ; stipules J in. long, ovate, acute, 

 somewhat auricled at the bast;. Flowers yellowish, shortly stalked, 

 usually in hairy racemes 1-2 in. long ; bracts T ' rj in. long, lanceolate, 

 acute. MALE flowers : Sepals 3, broadly elliptic or orbicular, 

 concave, glabrous, T ^ in. long. Stamens 3. Pistillode minute, 3-fid 

 FEM. flowers : Sepils 6, ovate, pinnatifid, very hispid, J in. long, 

 elongating in fruit. Ovary 3-lobed, hispid ; styles 3, united below in 

 a stout column which is often as long as the circinnately revolute 

 branches. Capsules J in. in diam., 3-lobed, white, hispid. Seeds 

 globose, smooth. 



Forests of N. Oudh (R. Thompson), Kheri district (Duthie) DISTRIB.: 

 Throughout India from the Punjab and the outer Himalayan ranges 

 eastwards to Assam, and south to Burma S. India and Ceylon ; also 

 in China. The plant is not eaten by cattle. The root, leaves and 

 fruit are used medicinally. 



2. T. cannabina* Linn. /. Suppl. 415 ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. Hi, '575 ; 



Cooke FL Bomb, ii, 622. T. involucrata, var. cannabina, MuelL- 



Arg.; F. B. I. v, 465. 



An erect or climbing shrub 4-5 ft. high, not twining, more or less hispid 

 and with stinging hairs. Stems stout, terete, woody. Leaves pal- 

 mately 3-partite, up to 3J in. long ; lobes toothed or pinnatifid, the 

 mid-lobe much longer than the lateral ones. Male flowers and calyx 

 of female flowers as in T involucrata. Styles 3, slightly spreading, 

 not revolute. Capsules |- in. across, 3-lobed, hirsute ; lobes globose. 

 Seeds globose, smooth, -J in. in diam. 



Jumna ravines near Etawah (Duthie), Bundelkhand (Duthie), and prob- 

 ably in other localities within the area of this flora. DISTRIB. : 

 Throughout the hotter parts of India and in Ceylon ; often found in 

 hedges. 



21. SAPIUM, P. Br.; Fl, Brit. Ind. v, 469. 



Trees and shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire, serrate or toothed, 

 penninerved, petiole often 2 -glandular at the top. Flowers monoe- 

 cious, in terminal simple or branched spikes or racemes, apetaJous 

 and without any disk; males above, several in each bract; 



